Making A Difference - Royal Oak Style

As I make plans to participate in the Royal Oak Park Fest
this Saturday, I am reminded of the many volunteer opportunities in our
community. From the different service clubs and civic groups to the City of
Royal Oak boards and committees, all citizens and residents are encouraged to
make a difference by giving something back to our great city.

It is easy to get annoyed with those that are critical of
our city government and management by way of the negative comments I read here on Patch and elsewhere. Many are dissatisfied with what we have or what is
missing.  

Some of the criticism is deserved but much of it is simply the ranting of those that are misinformed or down right cynical. Ok you have the right to speak your mind. To those who are unhappy with the way things are I say this. “Get up off the couch, step away from the computer and get involved.”  If you want to see things change, be part of the solution. Get out and make a difference - you might get more out of it than you give.   

Here are my suggestions.

City Committees and Boards.  The city charter allows for
several volunteer led groups made up of private citizens and elected officials.
A good way to start is to ask yourself ……what are your main interests and
issues in the city and where could you make a difference? Available opening are
posted regularly and an application can be obtained from the city clerk’s
office. 

If you are interested in the quality and condition of our parks and recreation programs look into the Parks and Rec Advisory Board. Maybe your background and experience would be a benefit to the Zoning Board of Appeals ( ZBA ). Or how about the Senior Advisory Committee if you want to make sure our senior programs are maintained or improved. Other committees include the Liquor Control Committee, The Civil Service Board, The Planning Commission, The Arts Council and The Library Board. The entire list, as well as open positions is available on the city web site at www.ci.royal-oak.mi.us

Service Clubs.  
I have often written about my involvement in the Royal Oak Optimist Club whose
mission is to Bring out The Best in Kids. They provide many programs for the
youth in our community from Oratorical and Essay contests to Junior Golf and
Tri Star Basketball. The Optimists were also instrumental in the founding of
the Boys and Girls Club and continue to provide support each year. The Rotary
Club provides scholarship programs and other assistance to young people and its
members are well known and respected citizens in our community. Other Clubs
such as Kiwanis and Lions are also involved with helping to make our community
a better place to live.  Again, please visit the city web site for an entire list along with contact information. Look under community links.

Civic Groups.
For those who are in the business community our Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce is one of the best anywhere. You can enjoy the benefits of Chamber membership from networking opportunities to assisting with such activities like the Clay, Glass and Metals art fair and the Big Garage Sale held each summer. The Royal Oak Historical Society is responsible for keeping our history and heritage alive.
If you have not yet visited the Historical Museum in the old fire house on Webster
near Crooks you have really missed something.  Talk to Muriel the curator,
about volunteer opportunities. Other groups include Royal Oak Youth Assistance,
The Nature Society, The Community Coalition and the Historical Commission.

Sports. If sports is your thing or if you have children ready to participate in the many youth programs available in our city, you can get involved with coaching or other support positions. Royal Oak Youth Soccer Association ( ROYSA ) and Royal Oak Sandlot Leagues ( ROSL ) are two of the groups providing competitive sports
programs for our kids.

 Also available are Royal Oak Hockey Assn. ( ROHA ) and Royal Oak Youth Football Teams ( ROYFT ) The YMCA and Boys and Girls Club also offer many sports programs and possible volunteer opportunities.        

As you can see there is no shortage of volunteer opportunities and our city needs your help. If you are not sure where to go or there is nothing that peaks your interest I suggest you get out in the community on any weekend day and you’ll see the many active volunteers helping and making a difference. Take a moment to stop and ask how you might get involved. And while you at it a little “Thank you” might just make their day.